Microbes from Extreme Environments as Key to Innovations
Research Project XTREAM Investigates the Industrial Potential of Extremophilic Microorganisms
XTREAM is a new international research project that will study resilient microorganisms from extreme environments to harness their properties for applications in medicine, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and the food and feed industry. Scientists from the 13 participating research institutions, including GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, have now gathered in Bergen, Norway, for the official launch of the project. Over the next four years, they will use state-of-the-art technologies to study glaciers, hot springs, deep-sea sponges and acid mine drainage. The project is funded with around €4.4 million from the EU's Horizon Europe programme.
Scientists and industry representatives from across Europe gathered in Bergen, Norway, to launch the EU-funded XTREAM project. The four-year initiative will explore the potential of extremophilic microorganisms - tiny organisms that thrive in extreme environments - for innovative applications in pharmaceuticals, medicine, agriculture, food and feed production.
“Microorganisms from extreme environments are nature's ultimate problem solvers. With XTREAM, we want to unleash their full potential to tackle pressing challenges,” says project leader Dr Antonio García-Moyano from the Norwegian Research Centre for Environmental Research (NORCE).
Life Under Extreme Conditions
“These microorganisms have evolved over millions of years to survive in highly inhospitable conditions,” adds Dr Erik Borchert, environmental microbiologist at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. “This has endowed them with unique properties that allow them to withstand high pressures or extreme temperatures. By understanding their mechanisms, we can open up completely new avenues for biotechnological applications”.
However, studying these organisms is complex, costly and technically demanding. XTREAM brings together 13 European research partners to overcome these challenges and pave the way for industrial innovation in line with the EU's sustainability goals. “Responsible exploration of these extreme environments is at the heart of XTREAM. By integrating cutting-edge technologies such as microfluidic analysis, artificial intelligence and advanced drones, we are combining innovation with environmental responsibility,” says García-Moyano.
Research in Some of Earth’s Harshest Environments
The project will study some of the most extreme habitats on the planet, including glaciers in Svalbard, acid mining sites such as Rio Tinto in Spain, hot springs, acid-polluted sites in the UK, salt lakes and deep-sea sponges in the Arctic. The microbes found at these sites may hold the key to new medicines, biochemicals and stable enzymes, contributing to the development of a sustainable, green economy in Europe.
At GEOMAR, deep-sea sponges and the microbes that live in symbiosis with them are a major research focus. Within XTREAM, the scientists involved will specifically search for new biocatalysts - enzymes that enable or accelerate biochemical reactions.
New Solutions Through Biological Adaptations
“XTREAM accelerates the path from discovery to application, creating bio-based solutions that are in line with Europe's climate goals. It strongly counters the argument that sustainability-driven innovation is impractical,” adds García-Moyano. The expected breakthroughs of the project are expected to significantly reduce the environmental impact and costs of biotechnological research, while accelerating the time to market of sustainable bio-based products.
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